Wadgaonsheri shootout: Rape complainant becomes suspect

The woman from Delhi was arrested by a team of Pune police officials on Monday

According to Pune police, the victim hired two contract killers to murder Ekta Bhati, who was shot dead on November 21(PICTURE FOR REPRESENTATION PURPOSES ONLY)

A woman from Delhi was remanded in 10 days Pune police custody for her alleged role in the murder of a woman (Ekta Bhati) who was shot at in Wadgaonsheri last week. The woman, according to Pune police, had hired two contract killers to murder Bhati, who was shot dead on November 21. According to the police, the arrested women had filed a rape complaint against Bhati’s husband Brijesh in 2017.

The woman from Delhi was arrested by a team of Pune police officials on Monday.

“They (assailants) had received the photos (of Bhati) in June from a number. We have to investigate where and when the contract was given, what the conspiracy was in the case,” said police inspector Raghunath Jadhav of the crime branch.

“The arrested woman and Brijesh Bhati were in relationship then,” said Jadhav.

After killing Ekta Bhati, Shivlal Babulal Rao, 39, and Mukesh Rao, 20, were trying to escape the city when one of them fired at a police inspector at the Pune railway station, who was trying to nab them. According to officials, Shivlal Rao told the investigators that he received ₹10 lakh for the murder.

The prosecution told the Pune court that the woman and two contract killers had previously visited Bhati’s house and had threatened the Bhati family with dire consequences. “It is established in the investigation that the woman hired the killers to commit the murder of Bhati,” Jadhav told judicial magistrate first class GK Nandanwar, who remanded the woman in police custody till December 7.

While speaking about Brijesh Bhati, the defence counsel advocate Indrajeet Gill, said, “The informant is a con man. He has duped many people. He had also taken ₹63 lakh from me (the arrested woman).”

Investigating officials said that there is a possibility of more people, other than the three arrested persons, involved in the case.